I Am an Island runs Sept. 19-22 at the Wyly Studio Theatre in Dallas.
Sept. 5, 2024
A local performance group is tackling a troubling topic that has seeped into the human psyche and affected people worldwide — global warming.
The play I Am an Island, written by Canadian native Julia Lederer and produced by the Dallas-based Watering Hole Collective, is a surrealist dark comedy that shows us the emotional journey of May. In an effort to convince her community of their sinking island, she resorts to a political demonstration, where she will sink into the sea herself.
The world premiere is Sept. 19-22 at the Wyly Studio Theatre at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas.
Members of the Dallas Sierra Club, Environment Texas and Cedar Ridge Preserve will help lead talkbacks, which are panel discussions following each performance. Friends of the Dallas Sierra Club — Rita Beving from Public Citizen, Ranjana Bhandari from Liveable Arlington and Sue Alvarez from the North Central Texas Council of Governments — will also be featured as Talkback Panelists after select performances.
Tickets are currently available online through the Watering Hole Collective website.
PUSHING CHANGE
Claire Lyon, executive director of the Dallas-based artists’ group known as the Watering Hole Collective, explained how her organization not only came to this production but supports other art projects that help raise social awareness.
The Collective was founded a year ago by Lyon, Laura Salvie, Jenny Dang and Mac Welch. Their first production Spring Awakening focused on sex education and teen mental health. They set out to involve the Dallas community in social activism, through artistic and creative ways.
“Watering Hole Collective’s mission is to produce socially conscious art that engages, inspires and cultivates conversation within the North Texas community,” Lyon said. “We harness the power of storytelling to start conversations and to raise awareness about these issues.”
Lyon explains that the Collective finds ways to make the topics more comfortable and digestible for the audience.
“Sometimes you don’t even realize something matters to you until you see somebody else going through it,” she said.
To achieve this, the Collective collaborates with local nonprofits that work directly with causes prevalent in specific pieces.
“At the Watering Hole Collective, we collaborate with local nonprofits to ensure our work is deeply rooted in the community,” said Lyon. “Our partners provide experts for our talkbacks, offering insights into the issues highlighted in our productions and educating our audience about current community developments.”
Additionally, the nonprofits assist in creating a resource guide for audiences, “empowering them with the information needed to take the next steps in becoming more involved in our community,” said Lyon.
Volunteers also work with the cast to educate them on the work they do and how it relates to the themes of the play. The nonprofits also offer a post-show volunteer opportunity for the audience.
The majority of the proceeds of the show go to the nonprofits, Lyon said.
ECLECTIC COLLECTIVE
The Watering Hole Collective’s projects revolve around various forms of performance art, including dance, film and drama.
“Our production last summer was a musical, this is a play. We would love to continue just growing and doing anything and everything,” Lyon said. “We have no limits,” she said, adding that they strive to be more than just a theater company.
“We want to be open to whatever kind of art that can best help the story that we’re excited about telling.”
ISLE OF PLIGHT
Their current play I Am an Island, came to life when it was submitted through their project submission form by director Angela Gulner. Lyon said the submission struck her as “so impressive and interesting.”
I Am an Island director Angela Gulner and playwright Julia Lederer. Photo courtesy of Watering Hole Collective.
Lyon said that Lederer’s work presents questions that she can’t answer — primarily “How do we live in a world that is sinking?”
The play itself is a “fully emotional play,” as described by Lyon, with Lederer writing it from her heart.
The focus of the play is May, the main character, attempting to convince others of the sinking island. When no one listens, she resorts to a political demonstration, which involves her sinking into the sea herself.
“And the whole play revolves around her having this political demonstration. We get to see all of her friends and family cope with this choice that she’s made,” Lyon adds.
The Dallas Sierra Club was one of the organizations that the Watering Hole Collective reached out to for feedback.
Victoria Howard, chair of the Dallas Sierra Club, described her organization's role in the play.
“Our biggest participation is going to be in their talk-back segments,” she said. “Each performance panel has a topic that varies on different points of environmentalism in the Metroplex.”
Some of these topics range from finding peace in the outdoors, to getting involved in local environmental causes.
Howard said, in a gentle way, the play puts a finer point on this idea that we are experiencing changes, and that we as a community have to look at what’s making these changes for ourselves.
Howard emphasized the importance of both the play and the panel discussions and their impact on the audience.
“Let it not just be an idea that they’re seeing in a play, but how that actually manifests in reality, in our world, here in North Texas.”
Tickets are $29.50, which can be purchased through the website. The majority of play proceeds, such as the ticket sales, will be donated to the nonprofits partnering with the Watering Hole Collective.
I Am an Island
What: World premiere of a surrealist dark comedy centering on climate change. Written by Canadian-native Julia Lederer. Produced by the Dallas-based Watering Hole Collective. Nonprofit partners include Dallas Sierra Club, Environment Texas and Cedar Ridge Preserve.
When: Sept. 19-22, 2024. Thursday thru Sunday, at 7:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Where: Wyly Studio Theatre at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, 2400 Flora St., Dallas
Cost: $29.50. Purchase tickets.
RELATED ARTICLES
Dallas community choir to raise voices for the environment
Fort Worth theater puts environmental issues in spotlight
Climate art show reveals concerns, hopes of Texans
Stay up to date on everything green in North Texas, including the latest news and events! Sign up for the weekly Green Source DFW Newsletter! Follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. Also check out our new podcast The Texas Green Report, available on your favorite podcast app.
Author
AVERY OLIVER
Avery Oliver is a Denton-based journalist who focuses on mental health, the environment, entertainment, and things that are happening worldwide. She’s written for various publications such as Better to Speak, SheKnows, Rooted in Rights, and Digital Spy on many topics. She has a degree in Multi-Media Journalism from the University of Texas at El Paso.
